Cycling Accidents

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) fatal, (b) serious and (c) slight casualties suffered by cyclists on (i) urban roads and (ii) rural roads in each year since 2000 resulted from collisions involving (A) at least one motor vehicle, (B) no motor vehicles and (C) powered two-wheel vehicles.

David Jamieson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Pedal cycle casualties by severity, vehicle involved and urban/rural roads casualties
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 
			 Severity/accidents involving Urban Rural Urban Rural Urban Rural Urban Rural 
		
		
			 Fatal 
			 At least one motor vehicle 61 49 62 55 58 55 58 46 
			 No motor vehicles(1) 6 10 7 12 5 9 2 8 
			 Two-wheeled motor vehicle(2) 2 4 5 2 0 0 2 0 
			  
			 Serious 
			 At least one motor vehicle 1,868 554 1,802 545 1,672 487 1,644 479 
			 No motor vehicles(1) 119 87 115 64 101 56 95 73 
			 Two-wheeled motor vehicle(2) 29 16 37 17 33 17 37 8 
			  
			 Slight 
			 At least one motor vehicle 14,701 2,543 13,481 2,410 12,086 2,205 12,041 2,170 
			 No motor vehicles(1) 383 134 339 130 251 76 311 88 
			 Two- wheeled motor vehicle(2) 247 50 246 54 244 46 234 56 
		
	
	(1) Includes accidents involving pedal cycles, ridden horse and other non-motor vehicles.
	(2) Included in the figure for "at least one motor vehicle".

Disabled Access

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding has been made available to improve disabled access transport services in Tamworth.

Charlotte Atkins: Regulations introduced under Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) require that all new public service vehicles used on local and scheduled service with a carrying capacity of more than 22 passengers, and all new rail vehicles, have to be accessible to disabled people. In addition, duties under Part 3 of the DDA require service providers to take reasonable steps to provide access to transport infrastructure such as bus station and railway stations.
	On funding, the Government provide funding to improve access to public transport through the Local Transport Plan (LTP) process. Local transport authorities in England outside London produce five-year LTPs, and report on progress against these plans in Annual Progress Reports (APRs). The first five-year plans were submitted in 2000. The following table details the relevant funding categories allocated to the Staffordshire Local Transport Plan area, which includes Tamworth.
	Decisions on how to target funding towards specific projects and initiatives such as those to improve public transport accessibility are made at local level.
	On access to the rail network, the SRA intend to consult on their Disability Strategy at the end of March. This will include priorities for improving accessibility at stations.
	
		Tamworth (Staffordshire) local authority £ million
		
			 Nature of funding 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Capital maintenance 4.55 8.68 9.32 11.64 12.80 
			 Integrated block (small schemes) 2.6 5.7 5.70 6.73 6.64 
			 Targeted bus grants(3) 0.93 1.26 1.42 1.38 1.24 
			 Total 8.08 15.64 16.44 19.75 20.68 
		
	
	(3) Includes rural bus subsidy grant and both rural and urban bus challenge funding.

Motorcycle Accidents

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of (a) fatal, (b) serious and (c) slight casualties suffered by riders of powered two-wheel vehicles in (i) urban areas and (ii) rural areas occurred (A) at signal-controlled junctions, (B) at other junctions and (C) while overtaking in the last period for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Proportions of two-wheeled motor vehicle rider casualties:GB 2003 Percentage
		
			  Accident location 
			 Severity Auto traffic signal Other junctions(4) While overtaking 
		
		
			 Fatal
			 Urban 8.9 54.7 16.7 
			 Rural 0.4 34.8 14.3 
			 Serious
			 Urban 9.4 65.6 15.9 
			 Rural 1.4 43.2 14.1 
			 Slight
			 Urban 11.7 66.5 16.9 
			 Rural 2.5 50.2 12.9 
		
	
	(4) Includes junctions controlled by an authorised person, stop sign, give way sign or markings and uncontrolled junctions
	It should be noted that a two-wheeled motor vehicle rider may have been injured either at a 'signal-controlled junction' while overtaking or at an 'other junction' while overtaking, since these are not mutually exclusive.

Pedestrian Casualties

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrian casualties occurring on a footway in each year since 2000 resulted from a collision with a (a) motor vehicle and (b) pedal cycle.

David Jamieson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Pedestrians injured on the footway or verge: GB 2000–03 Casualties
		
			  Motor vehicles Pedal cycles 
		
		
			 2000 3,445 77 
			 2001 3,504 78 
			 2002 3,432 65 
			 2003 3,453 72

Road Casualties (Children)

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of road casualties suffered by child (a) pedestrians and (b) cyclists in each year since 2000 occurred within 200 metres of a school.

David Jamieson: The information requested is not available.

Transport (Hampshire)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants were made to (a) Hampshire county council, (b) Portsmouth city council and (c) Southampton city council for (i) new transport schemes and (ii) road maintenance in each of the last five years.

Charlotte Atkins: holding answer 15 March 2005
	The total allocations over the five years, from 2000–01 to 2004–05, follow. Hampshire has been allocated a total of approximately £139.6 million—of which £53.3 million has been provided for capital road maintenance, £77.2 million for new transport schemes and £9.1 million specific grants for bus services. Portsmouth has been allocated a total of approximately £21.4 million—of which £5.7 million has been provided for capital road maintenance and £15.7 million for new transport schemes. Southampton has been allocated a total of approximately £19.4 million—of which £6.8 million has been provided for capital road maintenance, £11.9 million for new transport schemes and £0.7 million specific grants for bus services.
	The funding provided directly to the three authorities, including a breakdown by year, is shown in the following table. It has been for Hampshire county, Southampton city and Portsmouth city councils to determine exactly how the allocation should be spent, in line with their local transport plans and their priorities. The funding has been provided through a mixture of direct grants and borrowing approvals supported through revenue support grants.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 Nature of funding 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Hampshire county council 
			 Capital maintenance 4.388 9.870 10.524 13.303 15.221 
			 Integrated block 5.432 13.500 13.204 14.393 15.783 
			 Major schemes — — 0.750 6.654 7.500 
			 Targeted bus grants(5) 1.880 1.600 2.050 2.190 1.370 
			 Total 11.700 24.970 26.528 36.540 39.874 
			 Portsmouth city council 
			 Capital maintenance 0.579 0.803 0.835 2.296 1.149 
			 Integrated block 0.796 2.100 3.470 2.282 3.002 
			 Major schemes — — 1.200 2.888 — 
			 Targeted bus grants — — — — — 
			 Total 1.375 2.903 5.505 7.466 4.151 
			 Southampton city council 
			 Capital maintenance 0.581 1.085 1.152 1.421 2.522 
			 Integrated block 1.015 2.800 2.727 2.643 2.721 
			 Major schemes — — — — — 
			 Targeted bus grants(6) — — 0.750 — — 
			 Total 1.596 3.885 4.629 4.064 5.243 
		
	
	(5) Includes Rural Bus Subsidy Grant and both Rural and Urban Bus Challenge funding
	(6) Includes Urban Bus challenge funding

Biofuels

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many plants there are in the UK producing biodiesel or bioethanol using UK farmed and produced raw materials as their feedstock; what the production capacity of each is; and what new plants plan to commence production of biofuels in the UK in the next five years.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 14 March 2005
	We are aware of a number of companies that are either currently producing biofuels from UK farm-sourced raw materials or have plans to do so. The details are set out in the table provided.
	Other companies are known to be interested in establishing production facilities in the UK but are awaiting the results of the feasibility study on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation and the decision on the UK's 2010 target for the use of biofuels under the Biofuels Directive.
	
		
			 Company Location Type of biofuel Capacity (in tonnes per annum) Feedstock Current situation 
		
		
			 Argent Energy Motherwell Biodiesel 45,000 Animal fats (and used cooking oil) Started operating in February 2005. Further sites may follow in a few years time 
			 Biofuels Corporation Ltd. Middlesbrough Biodiesel 250,000 Oilseed rape (and other virgin vegetable oils) Under construction 
			 Biofuels Corporation Ltd. Middlesbrough Biodiesel 250,000 Oilseed rape (and other virgin vegetable oils) Aiming to start construction in 2005 
			 Global Commodities (UK) Ltd. East of England Biodiesel 83,000 Oilseed rape Aiming to start construction in 2006. A further site may follow in a few years time 
			 Greenergy Preferred location is thought to be Humberside Biodiesel 100,000 Oilseed rape (and used cooking oil and other material) Aiming for 2005–6 
			 British Sugar King's Lynn Bioethanol 55,000 Sugar beet Planning application has been submitted

Departmental Accounts

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether Ministers in his Department have issued written instructions to override his Department's accounting officer's objections since 1997.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member for Banbury to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary to HM Treasury (Mr. Timms), on 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 80W.

Palestine

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will commission research on the impact of the separation barrier in Palestine on availability of (a) water and (b) arable land to Palestinians.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: DFID does not plan to commission research on the impact of the separation barrier. Other donors are already active. A preliminary analysis of the barrier's revised route published by the UN's Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in March 2005 identified that some 142,640 acres (10 per cent.) of West Bank land will lie between the completed barrier and the Green Line. This is some of the most fertile land in the West Bank and currently home to 49,400 Palestinians. Thousands more Palestinians living to the east of the barrier will be separated from their land on the west. The OCHA plans to publish a more extensive technical analysis towards the end of this month. Other bodies researching this issue include the DFID-funded Palestinian Negotiations Support Unit (NSU). The NSU's work indicates that the barrier will deny Palestinian access to 25 per cent. of the 20 million cubic metres of groundwater currently abstracted annually from the Western Aquifer Basin, and that in the Eastern Aquifer Basin estimated losses will be in the order of 3 to 5 million cubic metres per year.

Nuclear Warheads

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many vehicles are available exclusively to transport nuclear materials related to the United Kingdom nuclear weapons programme.

Geoff Hoon: 10 vehicles are available to transport nuclear materials related to the United Kingdom nuclear weapons programme. This fleet comprises of two types of vehicle: the Truck Cargo Heavy Duty Mk 2, which is used to transport nuclear weapons, and the High Security Vehicle, which is used to transport Special Nuclear Materials.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions his Department's Ministers used the Queen's Flight in each of the past five years.

Ivor Caplin: The number of occasions Defence Ministers have used the aircraft of 32 (The Royal) Squadron in each of the past five financial years is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of occasions 
		
		
			 1999–2000 90 
			 2000–01 56 
			 2001–02 66 
			 2002–03 66 
			 2003–04 58 
		
	
	Travel by Ministers makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/Private Charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Spearhead Regiment

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the spearhead regiment is fully equipped (a) at present and (b) the next regiment to take over.

Adam Ingram: I have assumed that the hon. Lady is referring to the Spearhead Land Element (SLE), a Very High Readiness (VHR) Battalion Group (based on a light infantry battalion) whose role is to deploy at short notice to conduct a wide range of demanding, non-warfighting tasks. I can confirm that the current and future nominated SLE battalions are both fully equipped to undertake the task as SLE.

Cancelled Operations (Statistics)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled in (a) 1979, (b) 1997 and (c) the latest year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: Data for 1979 is not available. Data from 1996–97 to the third quarter of 2004–05 is available on the Department's website at www.performance.doh. gov.uk/hospitalactivity.

Dentistry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole-time equivalent NHS dentists there have been per head of population in each year since 1997; and how many were offering NHS treatment in (a) England, (b) each NHS region and (c) each strategic health authority in each year.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 February 2005
	The available information is shown in the following tables.
	
		Table 1: Headcount dentists per head of population by NHS region and strategic health authority
		
			  NHS dentists per head of population (10,000) 
			 Strategic health authority 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004(7) 
		
		
			 In England 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.31 
			   
			 Eastern Cluster 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.92 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 4.1 4.3 4.5 4.6 4.8 4.7 4.8 5.14 
			 Essex 3.4 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.76 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.2 3.3 3.40 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.94 
			 Trent 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.58 
			  
			 London Cluster 4.9 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.0 5.0 5.29 
			 North Central London 5.5 5.6 5.8 6,0 6.0 5.7 5.9 6.02 
			 North-east London 3.6 3.9 3.8 4.0 4.0 3.9 4.0 4.34 
			 North-west London 6.1 6.4 6.3 6.1 6.0 5.7 5.7 5.98 
			 South-east London 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.72 
			 South-west London 5.0 5.1 5.3 5.3 5.4 5.3 5.1 5.45 
			 North-east Cluster 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.81 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.59 
			 North and east Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.75 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 4.03 
			 South Yorkshire 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.85 
			 West Yorkshire 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.80 
			  
			 North-west and West Midlands Cluster 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.99 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.84 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.1 4.27 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.82 
			 Greater Manchester 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.93 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.68 
			 West Midlands South 3.4 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.8 4.0 4.36 
			  
			 Southern Cluster 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.63 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 3.9 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.45 
			 Dorset and Somerset 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.31 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.0 4.16 
			 Kent and Medway 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.99 
			 South-west Peninsula 3.7 3.9 4.1 4.2 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.50 
			 Surrey and Sussex 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 5.0 5.1 5.1 5.36 
			 Thames Valley 3.8 4.0 4.2 4.4 4.4 4.6 4.7 5.08 
		
	
	(7) Population data is 2003 figures as 2004 data is not available yet.
	Notes:
	1. This is a file containing the numbers of dentists as at 31 December from 1997 to 2004.
	2. The figures are based on the numbers of dentists with open general dental service (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS) contracts.
	3. The dentists include principals, assistants and trainees.
	4. Prison contracts have not been included in this analysis.
	5. The areas have been defined using practice postcodes within the specified area.
	6. The figures provide a snapshot of the number of individual dentists with an open contract at 31 December.
	7. A dentist with a GDS or PDS contract may provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed with the PCT.
	8. The Dental Practice Board has no information concerning the amount of time dedicated to NHS work by individual dentists.
	9. The figures provide an accurate figure taking into account any notifications received up to 31 January 2005.
	10. As data is not available by whole time equivalent, headcount has been used to determine the number of national health service dentists per head of population in the table.
	11. Areas have been defined using the Office of National Statistics All Fields Postcode Directory—November 2004.
	
		Table 2: Number of dental practices that offer NHS treatments to new patients as at 15 February 2005 by NHS region and strategic health authorities strategic health authorities
		
			  Number of dentist practices accepting NHS patients as at 15 February 2005 (a practice can be represented in more than one category) 
			 Strategic health authorities Providing occasional NHS treatment to non registered patients Registering charge exempt adults for NHS treatment Registering charge paying adults for NHS treatment Registering children aged 0 to 18 years for NHS treatment 
		
		
			 In England 1,433 2,762 2,414 3,702 
			   
			 Eastern Cluster 200 457 411 689 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic HA 54 163 126 216 
			 Essex strategic HA 74 98 94 141 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 17 55 57 74 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire strategic 22 71 67 142 
			 Trent strategic HA 33 70 67 116 
			  
			 London Cluster 454 943 804 1088 
			 North central London strategic HA 83 139 128 173 
			 North-east London strategic HA 121 188 174 199 
			 North-west London strategic HA 101 294 252 340 
			 South-east London strategic HA 64 175 131 195 
			 South-west London strategic HA 85 147 119 181 
			  
			 North-east Cluster 200 357 329 423 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley strategic HA 53 102 95 109 
			 North and east Yorkshire and Northern Lincoln 13 21 21 49 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear strategic HA 92 142 133 149 
			 South Yorkshire strategic HA 35 41 37 47 
			 West Yorkshire strategic HA 7 51 43 69 
			 North-west and West Midlands Cluster 425 607 544 793 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country strategic HA 159 236 199 271 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside strategic HA 146 185 181 225 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire strategic HA 16 11 8 23 
			 Greater Manchester strategic HA 80 112 103 172 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic HA 6 14 9 33 
			 West Midlands south strategic health authority 18 49 44 69 
			  
			 Southern Cluster 154 398 326 709 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic HA 9 44 35 74 
			 Dorset and Somerset strategic HA 7 24 24 43 
			 Hampshire and Isle Of Wight strategic HA 27 31 30 64 
			 Kent and Medway strategic HA — 50 31 91 
			 South-west Peninsula strategic HA 5 19 17 39 
			 Surrey and Sussex strategic HA 66 161 139 240 
			 Thames Valley strategic HA 40 69 50 158 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures provide an accurate figure taking into account any notifications received up to 31 January 2005.
	2. This information relates to dentists offering at least one type of NHS treatment to at least one category of patient.

NHS Expenditure

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2005, Official Report, column 888W, on NHS expenditure, what information on NHS regional and strategic health authority budgets since 1997 has been validated.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 February 2005
	Expenditure on administration, and total expenditure, by national health service region, at 2003–04 prices (in thousands of pounds), between 1997–98 and 2000–01, is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			 £000 
			  1997–98 1998–99 
			 Region Administration Total expenditure Administration Total expenditure 
		
		
			 Northern and Yorkshire 263,680 4,530,991 269,920 4,818,392 
			 Trent 224,356 3,606,348 226,773 3,808,438 
			 West Midlands 235,256 3,697,458 239,286 3,896,059 
			 North West 297,817 4,753,555 286,100 5,080,647 
			 Eastern 199,377 3,422,432 192,784 3,611,134 
			 London 412,801 5,803,466 457,071 6,204,313 
			 South East 342,130 5,604,306 321,640 5,838,039 
			 South West 174,512 3,290,983 185,756 3,409,326 
		
	
	
		
			 £000 
			  1999–2000 2000–01 
			 Region Administration Total expenditure Administration Total expenditure 
		
		
			 Northern and Yorkshire 273,935 5,462,085 283,322 5,766,407 
			 Trent 219,701 4,318,500 228,082 4,532,084 
			 West Midlands 240,390 4,335,469 249,865 4,550,790 
			 North West 281,410 5,809,534 300,862 6,312,317 
			 Eastern 241,166 4,101,533 235,365 4,380,406 
			 London 474,226 7,118,785 451,201 7,705,034 
			 South East 337,815 6,703,755 363,988 7,095,852 
			 South West 192,171 3,888,130 202,218 4,372,124 
		
	
	Expenditure on administration, and total expenditure, by strategic health authority (SHA) area, at 2003–04 prices (in thousands of pounds) for 2001–02, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   £000 
			  2001–02 
			 SHA area Administration Total expenditure 
		
		
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 102,195 1,959,135 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 77,137 1,674,582 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 128,404 2,534,182 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 107,959 2,453,646 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 56,238 1,149,103 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 113,133 2,084,557 
			 Dorset and Somerset 57,378 1,436,201 
			 Essex 75,732 1,347,326 
			 Greater Manchester 156,273 2,605,624 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 73,430 1,706,428 
			 Kent and Medway 80,302 1,373,794 
			 Leicestershire, Northants and Rutland 54,860 1,253,267 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 119,178 1,939,973 
			 North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire 65,594 1,458,122 
			 North Central London 101,804 1,441,377 
			 North East London 94,772 1,686,092 
			 North West London 128,255 2,085,940 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 71,292 1,497,303 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 59,322 1,453,177 
			 South East London 107,193 1,736,797 
			 South West London 66,974 1,336,071 
			 South West Peninsula 64,659 1,433,649 
			 South Yorkshire 84,916 1,415,297 
			 Surrey and Sussex 126,108 2,485,046 
			 Thames Valley 109,779 1,805,204 
			 Trent 168,108 2,617,750 
			 West Midlands South 69,047 1,367,553 
			 West Yorkshire 104,173 2,039,883 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for 2002–03 are not available.
	2. Figures for 2003–04 are currently being validated.
	3. NHS regions no longer existed from 2001–02. Figures quoted are based on nominal strategic health authority area, even though SHAs did not come into being until the following year.
	4. Total expenditure is taken from audited health authority accounts and primary care trust summarisation schedules, which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from cash allocations in the year. The expenditure is the total expenditure by the relevant health authorities, and the commissioner costs of the primary care trusts.
	5. Total NHS expenditure cannot be identified by regional or health authority area because the majority of general dental services expenditure is not included in the individual health authority accounts or primary care trust summarisation schedules and is separately accounted for by the Dental Practice Board. The majority of pharmaceutical services expenditure is accounted for by the Prescription Pricing Authority and not by health authorities or primary care trusts.
	6. All figures are based on returns submitted by individual NHS organisations. These returns are signed off by the directors of finance of the NHS organisations and audited by auditors appointed by the Audit Commission.
	Sources:
	Audited accounts of the health authorities 1997–98 to1998–99.
	Audited summarisation forms of the health authorities 1999–2000 to 2000–01.
	Audited summarisation schedules of the primary care trusts 2000–01, 2001–02.
	Audited summarisation schedules of the NHS trusts 1997–98 to 2001–02.
	Her Majesty's Treasury gross domestic product deflator.

Job Creation

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new jobs have been created in (a) Aberdeenshire Unitary Authority Area, (b) Gordon constituency and (c) Banff and Buchan constituency in each year since 1999.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Alex Salmond, dated 16 March 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about jobs created in Aberdeenshire Unitary Authority, and Banff and Buchan and Gordon Parliamentary Constituencies. (222061)
	While statistics of new jobs created are not available explicitly, statistics from surveys enable comparisons to be made of net changes, in numbers of jobs, from year to year.
	The attached table shows the information requested, relating to jobs in these areas, from 1999 to 2003 for Aberdeenshire, and from 1999 to 2002 for Parliamentary Constituencies. These are the latest period for which information is available.
	
		Number of employee jobs(18) , (19) and change in employee jobs in Aberdeenshire Unitary Authority, Banff and Buchan, and Gordon parliamentary constituency—1999 to 2003  -- Thousand
		
			  Aberdeenshire Year on year change Banff and Buchan(20) Year on year change Gordon(20) Year on year change 
		
		
			 1999 71 — 26 — 24 — 
			 2000 77 6 30 4 25 2 
			 2001 79 2 29 -1 25 0 
			 2002 75 -4 26 -3 25 -1 
			 2003 79 4 — — — — 
		
	
	(18) Excludes self-employed jobs.
	(19) These figures are aggregates from which agriculture class 0100 (1992 SIC) have been excluded.
	(20) 2003 Annual Business Inquiry estimates are currently not available by parliamentary constituency.
	Note:
	Each table entry is independently rounded to the nearest thousand.
	Source:
	Annual Business Inquiry, 1999–2003

National Debt

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the national debt per head of population was in real terms in (a) 1996 and (b) 2004.

Stephen Timms: Figures for public sector net debt at current prices are available on the Office for National Statistics website: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/tsdtables1.asp?vlnk=fsf. Table 1.1A: Public Sector Finances (series RUTN) shows figures for public sector net debt in £ billion.
	Figures for mid-year population estimates are also available on the Office for National Statistics website. Mid-1996 population estimates for the UK are available at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Expodata/Spreadsheets/D8601.xls. The latest available population estimates for the UK are mid-2003, which are available at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=12899.
	GDP deflators, to convert nominal values into real terms, are available on the Treasury website at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/3DA/86/GDPdeflator23122004.xls

Perinatal/Infant Mortality

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) perinatal and (b) infant mortality rates were in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tim Loughton, dated 16 March 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) perinatal and (b) infant mortality rates were in each of the last ten years. (222060)
	The most recent year for which infant mortality data are available is 2003. Data for 2003 are provisional. The information is shown in the table below.
	
		Numbers and rates for (a) perinatal and (b) infant mortality in England and Wales for the years 1994 to 2003
		
			  (a) Perinatal mortality (b) Infant mortality 
			  Number Rate Number Rate 
		
		
			 1994 5,958 9.0 4,120 6.2 
			 1995 5,701 8.8 3,982 6.1 
			 1996 5,605 8.6 3,959 6.1 
			 1997 5,380 8.4 3,799 5.9 
			 1998 5,261 8.3 3,625 5.7 
			 1999 5,138 8.3 3,621 5.8 
			 2000 4,956 8.2 3,377 5.6 
			 2001 4,757 8.0 3,240 5.4 
			 2002 4,992 8.4 3,127 5.2 
			 2003(25) 5,334 5.5 3,306 5.3 
		
	
	(25) Data for 2003 are provisional.
	Note:
	Final figures for 2003 will be published in DH3, no. 36 on 31 March 2005.
	Source:
	1994–2002: Series DH3 'Mortality statistics: Childhood, infant and perinatal' no. 35, table 12003.

Pensioners

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average weekly income of single (a) female and (b) male pensioners was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the table.
	
		The average incomes of single female and single male pensioners in 2002–03 £ per week(26)
		
			  Single female pensioners Single male pensioners 
		
		
			 Gross income 197 221 
			 Net income BHC 172 190 
			 Net income AHC 147 165 
		
	
	(26) 2002–03 prices.
	Notes:
	1. Incomes are presented as pounds per week. Figures for incomes are given in 2002–03 prices and rounded to the nearest pound.
	2. BHC stands for "before housing costs" and AHC for "after housing costs".
	3. Gross income is income from all sources received by the pensioner including income from social security benefits (including housing benefit), earnings from employment or self-employment, any private pension income, and tax credits. Net income before housing costs deducts direct taxes including council tax, net income after housing costs also deducts housing costs which include rent, water rates and mortgage payments.
	Source:
	The Pensioners' Incomes Series 2002–03 (which is based on data from the Family Resources Survey).

Statistics

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the publication dates of statistics to be released by his Department and its agencies during the next year.

Chris Pond: The majority of the Department's statistics are released quarterly on the internet and summarised in the DWP Statistical Summary. They are scheduled to be issued on the following dates in the coming year:
	16 March 2005
	15 June 2005
	21 September 2005
	21 December 2005
	The Department's statisticians have recently completed a consultation about improvements to the data sources and coverage of benefit statistics. The outcome of the consultation has been placed in the Library and is available on the Department's website at http//www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/stats consultation/DWP Response to External Consultation.pdf. Further details, including the effect on the publication schedule, will be released in the summer.
	Publication dates for other DWP statistics prepared by members of the Government Statistical Services are currently scheduled as follows:
	
		
			 Publication Period covered Release date 
		
		
			 Fraud and Error in Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance and Pension Credit (detailed report) April 2003 to March 2004 24 March 2005 
			 Neighbourhood Statistics August 2004 March 2005 
			 Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2003–04 30 March 2005 
			 Pensioners' Incomes 1994–95 to 2003–04 6 April 2005 
			 Family Resources Survey 2003–04 6 April 2005 
			 Fraud and Error in Housing Benefit (detailed report) April 2002 to March 2004 26 May 2005 
			 Tax/Benefit Model April 2005 June 2005 
			 National Insurance Contributions and Qualifying Years 1978–79 to 2002–03 June 2005 
			 Fraud and Error in Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance and Pension Credit (headline report) October 2003 to September 2004 July 2005 
			 Fraud and Error in Housing Benefit (headline report) April 2002 to September 2004 21 July 2005 
			 Local Area Labour Force Survey March 2004 to February 2005 August 2005 
			 Low Income Dynamics 1991–2003 August 2005 (provisional) 
			 National Insurance Number allocations to overseas Nationals entering the UK (previously Migrant Workers Statistics) 2003–04 September 2005 (provisional) 
			 Work and Pensions Statistics 2005 October 2005 
			 Fraud and Error in Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance and Pension Credit (headline report) April 2004 to March 2005 November 2005 
			 Fraud and Error in Housing Benefit (headline report) April 2002 to March 2005 November 2005 
			 Second Tier Pension Provision 2003–04 December 2005 (provisional) 
			 Take-up of Income-related Benefits 2003–04 December 2005 (provisional) 
			 Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2004–05 March 2006

Care Proceedings

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many care proceedings have been terminated after court proceedings have been initiated with the child in question remaining with the birth parent in each of the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: It is not possible to say in how many care proceedings the child in question remained with their birth parents, as information about the parties involved is not collected centrally. The following table shows the number of care proceedings which have been disposed of without a care order being made over the last 10 years:
	
		
			  Applications withdrawn Orders refused Orders of no order 
		
		
			 2003 433 26 257 
			 2002 304 27 185 
			 2001 355 15 164 
			 2000 459 26 177 
			 1999 288 28 95 
			 1998 547 43 121 
			 1997 514 38 128 
			 1996 525 41 124 
			 1995 641 40 108 
			 1994 562 80 162 
		
	
	Source:
	Judicial Statistics (Table 5.2)

Child Care Statistics

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the statistics relating to (a) child care and (b) looked after children and children in care, which, since 1997 (i) are no longer collected by her Department and (ii) have had the way in which the figures are compiled changed.

Margaret Hodge: My Department's Children's Day Care Facilities Survey collected data on numbers of child care providers and places classified according to type of provider: day nurseries, playgroups and pre-schools, childminders, out of school clubs, and holiday schemes, for each local authority, from local authority Social Service Departments on an annual basis until March 2001, when the survey was discontinued.
	With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection of child care providers from Local Authority Social Service Departments to Ofsted in September 2001, data on child care providers and numbers of places were collected as part of the process of registration and inspection and child care providers and places were classified according to type of day care provided: full day care, sessional day care, childminder, out of school day care, and crèche day care.
	My Department published figures on numbers of child care providers and places on an annual basis until March 2001 and Ofsted has published figures on numbers of child care providers and places on a quarterly basis since March 2003. There are no figures for March 2002. The two sets of figures are not entirely comparable because one set derives from local authority data classified according to type of provider and the other from provider data classified according to type of child care provided.
	The following table summarises the changes made to the children looked after returns since 1997.
	
		
			 Year ending 31 March: Change Description 
		
		
			 1997 Children's homes statistical publication changed from annual to triennial publication Children's homes publication contains details on numbers of children's homes 
			 1998 CLA100 return introduced To collect aggregate figures for children looked after by local authority. Introduced following a review in 1997 of the statistics on personal social services collected by DH to enable a fast turnaround of data providing more up-to-date summary figures than is possible from the detailed SSDA903 return. 
			 1998 SSDA903 return moves from covering all children looked after to a one-third sample survey To reduce the burden on local authorities following introduction of the CLA100 return. (The SSDA903 return is a child level return collecting detailed information on episodes of care). Aggregate figures were produced using the CLA100 totals (at 31 March, starters and ceased). 
			 2000 Last year of Children's Homes publications Responsibility for children's homes passed to CSCI 
			 2001 'Number of children starting to be looked after in year' discontinued from the CLA100 return To calculate an aggregate number of starters in the year the 31 March total was used in combination with the SSDA903 return. 'Number of children who ceased to be looked after in the year' was discontinued in the year ending 31 March 2002. It was decided to also use the 31 March total in combination with the SSDA903 return to calculate the aggregate number of ceased. 
			 2001 SSDA903 codes revised(27). Ethnic origin and 'Children in Need' code collected for the first time. 'Reason for being looked after' code discontinued. Most of the 'reason episode ceased' codes(28) were discontinued. Most of the pre-2001 codes can be mapped uniquely to the 2001 codes. However, at a detailed level some codes can not be uniquely matched. 'Children in Need' code replaced the 'Reason for being looked after' code. 
			 2001 CLA100 return codes revised To match SSDA903 codes 
			 2004 SSDA903 return moves to a census Move to web-based data collection facilitates move to census. 
			 2004 CLA100 discontinued The result of the SSDA903 return move to census. 
		
	
	(27) In the year ending 2001 the codes used on the SSDA903 form, which had previously been numerical, were changed to alphanumeric pairs, in each case a letter followed by a number (except 'reason for new episode' which is a field of one digit in length. Further details on the changes can be found in a document titled 'Information only—new SSDA9Q3 codes introduced on 1 April 2000' which can be downloaded from http://www.dfes.gov.uk/datastats1/guidelines/children/returns.shtml
	(28) Discontinued 'reason episode ceased' codes were emigration and reaching the maximum age appropriate to the legal status and placement. The detailed codes indicating that the child continued to be looked after following a placement or legal status change (or both) were summarised into one category, 'episode ceased and new episode begins on the same day, for any reason'.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Greater London in each year since 1 April 1999, broken down by borough.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the tables.
	
		Number of ASBOs, as reported to the Home Office by all courts within Greater London, where restrictions are imposed within local authority areas, by period, up to 30 September 2004
		
			  Total ASBOs Period Period Period 
			  1 April 1999 to 30 September 2004 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 1 January 2001 to 31 December 
			 Area Total issued Total refused Total issued Total refused Total issued Total refused Total issued Total refused 
		
		
			 Greater London 364 9 9 0 19 2 13 3 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Barnet 10 — n/a n/a — — 2 — 
			 Bexley 16 — n/a n/a 2 — — — 
			 Brent 10 1 n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Bromley 7 — n/a n/a 1 — — — 
			 Camden 65 — n/a n/a 5 — 1 — 
			 City of London 4 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Croydon 14 — n/a n/a 1 — — — 
			 Ealing 12 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Enfield 4 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Greenwich 11 — n/a n/a — — 3 — 
			 Hackney 7 — n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8 — n/a n/a — — 2 — 
			 Haringey 9 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Harrow 5 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Havering 5 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Hillingdon 8 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Hounslow 18 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Islington 8 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough 8 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Kingston-on-Thames 5 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Lambeth 14 — n/a n/a 1 — — — 
			 Lewisham 13 — n/a n/a — — 2 — 
			 Merton 10 2 n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Newham 5 2 n/a n/a — 2 2 — 
			 Richmond upon Thames 8 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Southwark 11 3 n/a n/a — — — 3 
			 Sutton 7 — n/a n/a 3 — — — 
			 Tower Hamlets 9 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Waltham Forest 7 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Wandsworth 12 — n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Westminster 24 1 n/a n/a 6 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			  Period Period Period 
			  1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 1 January 2004 to 30 September 2004 
			 Area Total issued Total refused Total issued Total refused Total issued Total refused 
		
		
			 Greater London 20 2 94 2 209 0 
			 Barking and Dagenham — — — — 1 — 
			 Barnet — — 1 — 7 — 
			 Bexley 6 — 4 — 4 — 
			 Brent — — 7 1 3 — 
			 Bromley — — 5 — 1 — 
			 Camden 10 — 20 — 29 — 
			 City of London — — — — 4 — 
			 Croydon 1 — 6 — 6 — 
			 Ealing — — 1 — 11 — 
			 Enfield — — 1 — 3 — 
			 Greenwich — — 3 — 5 — 
			 Hackney 1 — 1 — 4 — 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham — — 2 — 4 — 
			 Haringey — — — — 9 — 
			 Harrow — — — — 5 — 
			 Havering — — 1 — 4 — 
			 Hillingdon — — — — 8 — 
			 Hounslow — — 5 — 13 — 
			 Islington — — 7 — 1 — 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough — — 1 — 7 — 
			 Kingston-on-Thames — — 4 — 1 — 
			 Lambeth — — — — 13 — 
			 Lewisham — — 3 — 8 — 
			 Merton 1 2 2 — 7 — 
			 Newham — — — — 3 — 
			 Richmond upon Thames — — 3 — 5 — 
			 Southwark — — 5 — 6 — 
			 Sutton — — 2 — 2 — 
			 Tower Hamlets 1 — 2 — 6 — 
			 Waltham Forest — — — — 7 — 
			 Wandsworth — — 3 — 9 — 
			 Westminster — — 5 1 13 — 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	Note:
	Between 1 April 1999–31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area (pfa)

Asylum Seekers

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers in Milton Keynes were supported by Government funding in each of the last 10 years.

Des Browne: The information is not available in the precise format requested. The Home Office took responsibility for the budget for adult and family asylum seekers on 1 April 1999. Information for previous years is therefore not available.
	The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) was established on 3 April 2000 and is now responsible for supporting the majority of asylum seekers. Local authorities retain responsibility for supporting some asylum seekers who made their claim for asylum before NASS administered support was effective in their area.
	Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives.
	The following table shows the number of people supported by NASS in Milton Keynes.
	
		
			  2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Financial assistance only 165 140 90 
			 Accommodation and financial assistance or accommodation only — — — 
			 Disbenefited(29) — — * 
			 Total 165 140 95 
		
	
	(29) Disbenefited refers to cases previously supported under mainstream benefits system who have been transferred to support by NASS.
	Notes:
	1. All figures are rounded to the nearest five and * is 1 or 2.
	2. Figures are a snapshot as at the end of each year.
	Information from Milton Keynes council suggests that they have provided support to asylum seekers as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Adults Families 
		
		
			 1999–2000 185 Average of 50 for the year 
			 2000–01 170 Average of 50 for the year 
			 2001–02 80 Average of 35 for the year 
			 2002–03 30 25 at the end of the financial year 
			 2003–04 15 25 at the end of the financial year 
		
	
	Note:
	All figures rounded to the nearest 5
	Children on their own in the country who claim asylum are supported in the same way as any other child in need of care. Information from Milton Keynes council suggests it is supporting the following numbers of children who have made a claim for asylum.
	
		
			 Financial year Number 
		
		
			 1999–2000 0 
			 2000–01(30) * 
			 2001–02(31) 10 
			 2002–03(32) 15 
			 2003–04(33) 25 
		
	
	(30) February 2001.
	(31) February 2002.
	(32) March 2003.
	(33) February 2004.
	Note:
	All figures are rounded to the nearest five and * is 1 or 2.

Fixed Penalty Notices

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2005, Official Report, columns 113–14W, on fixed penalty notices, how many of each of the categories of fixed penalty notices have been collected.

Hazel Blears: The table gives the number of notices issued, by offence, by Essex police in 2004, to the end of November, with the proportion of notices notified to the Home Office as being paid.
	If penalties are unpaid and a court hearing not requested within 21 days then a fine will be registered against the recipient of the penalty notice. The fine will then be enforced by the courts in the same way as any other fine. The Department for Constitutional Affairs has been taking action to significantly improve the collection of fines. The fine payment rate for the last quarter of 2004 was 80 per cent.
	
		Penalty notices for disorder issued in Essex from January to November 2004(35), and percentage paid, by offence(36)
		
			 Offence Number issued Percentage paid 
		
		
			 Breach of fireworks curfew 1 100 
			 Causing harassment, alarm or distress 1,651 61 
			 Consume alcohol in designated public place 8 13 
			 Destroying/damaging property (max £500) 31 68 
			 Drunk and disorderly 683 58 
			 Drunk in highway 24 58 
			 Knowingly giving false alarm 1 0 
			 Possession by under 18 of adult firework 2 100 
			 Possession of Category 4 firework 1 0 
			 Purchase of alcohol in bar in licensed premises for person under 18 — — 
			 Sending false messages 10 40 
			 Theft (retail under £200) 54 52 
			 Throwing fireworks 5 60 
			 Throwing stones at a train 2 50 
			 Trespassing on a railway 11 45 
			 Wasting police time 36 56 
			 Total 2,520 60 
		
	
	(35) Figures have risen since 24 January due to receipt of late returns.
	(36) Provisional figures.

Knives

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions for offences relating to knives and swords there have been in courts in (i) York, (ii) North Yorkshire police force area and (iii) England in each year since 1995.

Paul Goggins: The available information contained in the table gives the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences where a bladed article is mentioned in the offence description, at: York petty sessional area, North Yorkshire police force area and England 1995 to 2003.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences related to "bladed articles" 1995 to 2003(37)
		
			  Having an article with a blade or point in a public place Having an article with a blade or point on school premises Selling a bladed article to a person under 16 years of age 
			 Location/Year Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
		
		
			 York petty sessional area(38)
			 1995 13 10 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1996 20 14 — — — — 
			 1997 23 17 — — — — 
			 1998 17 17 1 1 — — 
			 1999 17 15 — — — — 
			 2000 22 15 — — — — 
			 2001 27 13 — — — — 
			 2002 29 23 — — — — 
			 2003 28 20 — — — — 
			
			 North Yorkshire police force area
			 1995 26 20 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1996 37 25 — — — — 
			 1997 47 37 — — — — 
			 1998 37 32 2 2 — — 
			 1999 52 45 — — — — 
			 2000 54 33 — — — — 
			 2001 64 45 — — — — 
			 2002 65 52 — — — — 
			 2003 63 50 — — 3 3 
			
			 England   
			 1995 3,338 2,465 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1996 3,429 2,563 17 12 2 2 
			 1997 4,255 3,186 23 19 2 2 
			 1998 4,614 3,595 20 16 2 2 
			 1999(39) 4,297 3,323 9 8 3 2 
			 2000(39) 4,388 3,339 18 17 — — 
			 2001(39) 5,493 4,104 22 22 9 8 
			 2002(39) 6,539 5,027 20 17 11 10 
			 2003(39) 6,535 5,077 25 29 17 17 
		
	
	n/a = Not applicable (These offences only became identifiable on the Home Office Court Proceedings database in 1996).
	(37) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(38) Includes convictions at the Crown Court where York PSA was the committing court.
	(39) Excludes prosecution and conviction data for West Mercia police force area due to coding errors.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the change in the rate of stop and searches of people of Asian origin since 2001.

Hazel Blears: For the period 2001–02 to 2003–04 the year on year change in the rate of people of Asian origin stopped and searched in England and Wales per 1,000 population aged 10 and over is as follows.
	
		Percentage
		
			  2001–02 to 2002–03 2002–03 to 2003–04 
		
		
			 Section 1 PACE 1984 +35.2 -8.6 
			 Section 60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 +60.0 -18.6 
			 Section 44 Terrorism Act 2000 +366.7 +21.4 
		
	
	Source:
	Research, Development and Statistics—Office for Criminal Justice Reform
	The Government are committed to reducing disproportionality and increasing the confidence that the black and minority ethnic community has in the way the police use stop and search. In order to benefit as much as possible from the input of communities an independent Community Panel chaired by Lord Victor Adebowale was established in December 2004. The Community Panel provides advice to SSAT and the Delivery Board on the race and community impact of their work programme, and also acts as a scrutiny for their work.

Police (Kent)

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) police community support officers were employed in the North Kent Division of Kent Police in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Information on strength at Basic Command Unit (BCU) level is collected annually and reflects the position at the end of March for each year. Information on BCU strength is only available from 2002 and is set out in the table. The deployment of officers to BCUs is a matter for the Chief Constable (Mr. Michael Fuller) and within the North Kent Division deployment of officers is a matter for the Divisional Commander.
	Information on the number of community support officers (CSOs) has been provided by the chief constable. The first CSOs were deployed to North Kent in 2002–03. The information provided for CSOs is also set out in the following table.
	
		North Kent division
		
			 As at 31 March Number of police officers(42) Number of community support officers 
		
		
			 2002 342 Not applicable 
			 2003 363 2 
			 2004 399 8 
			 2005 Not available 17 
		
	
	Source:
	(42) Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate for 2003 onwards. March 2002 data was collected by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.
	The number of police officers deployed to the North Kent division has increased by 57 officers, or by nearly 17 per cent., since March 2002. The increase in the number of police officers for North Kent has significantly exceeded the overall increase in police officer numbers for the Kent police of 7 per cent. for the same period (March 2002 to March 2004).

Police Funding

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in England and Wales are receiving funding (a) above the formula funding level, (b) at the formula funding level and (c) below the formula funding level; and what action he is taking to ensure that all forces receive funding in line with the formula.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 7 March 2005
	Government funding for police authorities is chiefly allocated using a funding formula that distributes resources on the basis of relative need and resources. A damping mechanism subsequently applied to protect all authorities against financial instability ensures all authorities receive an increase in grant at least equal to the "floor" level on a like-for-like basis year-on-year. Grant floors are an integral part of the finance system.
	In 2005–06, every police authority will receive the amount of grant to which it is entitled under "The Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2005/06", "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 2005/06", and "The Local Government Finance Report No 2 2005/06" for Wales.
	In 2004–05, all police authorities received a grant increase around 3.25 per cent. For 2005–06 it has been possible to reintroduce recognition of relative need, and grant increases range from the floor of 3.75 per cent. to 6.81 per cent. Grant provisions before and after damping are given in the following table.
	We are currently reviewing the funding formulae and will be consulting local authorities during the summer of 2005 on the formulae for the 2006–07 settlement.
	
		
			£ million 
			  2005–06 allocation: 
			 Police authority Before damping(43) After damping(43) Effect of damping 
		
		
			 Surrey 77.2 91.5 14.3 
			 Essex 153.3 167.0 13.6 
			 Sussex 152.1 164.0 11.9 
			 Kent 177.9 189.5 11.5 
			 South Wales(45) 165.1 174.5 9.5 
			 Hampshire 192.7 197.7 4.9 
			 Hertfordshire 104.1 108.8 4.7 
			 Dorset 61.8 66.0 4.2 
			 Thames Valley 216.5 220.6 4.1 
			 North Yorkshire 72.6 75.4 2.9 
			 West Mercia 109.3 111.8 2.5 
			 Staffordshire 111.0 113.3 2.3 
			 Merseyside 255.6 257.7 2.1 
			 North Wales(45) 76.3 78.3 1.9 
			 Devon and Cornwall 171.2 173.0 1.8 
			 South Yorkshire 184.1 185.7 1.6 
			 Derbyshire 103.7 105.0 1.3 
			 Dyfed-Powys(45) 51.0 52.2 1.3 
			 Gloucestershire 59.8 61.1 1.3 
			 Gwent(45) 72.9 74.1 1.2 
			 Wiltshire 61.7 62.9 1.2 
			 Cumbria 61.0 62.1 1.1 
			 Durham 86.9 87.8 0.9 
			 Suffolk 67.6 68.5 0.8 
			 Humberside 118.2 118.9 0.7 
			 Cheshire 110.8 111.3 0.4 
			 Norfolk 86.0 85.9 -0.2 
			 Warwickshire 52.0 51.8 -0.2 
			 Nottinghamshire 133.9 133.3 -0.5 
			 Bedfordshire 65.7 65.1 -0.6 
			 Lincolnshire 64.0 63.4 -0.6 
			 Cleveland 91.9 90.9 -1.0 
			 Lancashire 192.1 190.8 -1.3 
			 Northamptonshire 69.2 67.8 -1.4 
			 Leicestershire 109.8 107.7 -2.1 
			 Avon and Somerset 172.2 170.0 -2.2 
			 Cambridgeshire 80.1 77.9 -2.2 
			 Northumbria 235.4 232.2 -3.2 
			 West Yorkshire 318.3 313.6 -4.6 
			 Greater Manchester 418.3 412.5 -5.8 
			 West Midlands 442.3 426.5 -15.8 
			 GLA—Police 1976.3 1927.8 -48.5 
		
	
	(43) Rounded to the nearest £100,000. Calculated using the Police Funding Formula 2005–06.
	(44) Rounded to the nearest £100,000. Calculated under the Police Grant Report (England and Wales), the Local Government Finance Report (England) and The Local Government Finance Report No 2 for Wales. Figures include the effects of floor damping.
	(45) Because the Welsh Assembly does not operate a grant damping mechanism ('funding floor and ceiling'), the Home Secretary has for several years provided additional funding to ensure Welsh police authorities receive at least a minimum increase in grant in line with English authorities. A total of £13.9 million will be allocated to Welsh police authorities in 2005–06 to bring their allocations in line with the grant floor level.
	(46) Figures for the City of London Police are excluded because these are allocated to the Common Council of the City of London as a whole in respect of all its functions. The City is grouped with Education Authorities for grant damping purposes.

Probation Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the £300 million that has been allocated centrally to the Probation Service for 2005–06 will be spent.

Paul Goggins: The £300 million not included in Probation Boards' main resource allocations is being spent as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Electronic monitoring 79 
			 Approved premises 54 
			 Training Probation Officers 57 
			 Special allocations to probation boards 39 
			 Information Technology and Estates 36 
			 National Probation Directorate Staffing 15 
			 Other central probation costs (new developments, research, loan charges, etc.) 45 
			 Total 325

Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to increase the level of confidence in the criminal justice system within ethnic communities;
	(2)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to increase the satisfaction of victims and witnesses with the criminal justice system;
	(3)  whether the public service agreement target to maintain the current low rate of prisoner escapes, including category A escapes has been met;
	(4)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to reduce re-offending by young offenders by 5 per cent;
	(5)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to reduce re-offending by adults sentenced to imprisonment by 5 per cent.;
	(6)  what recent progress has been made towards the public service agreement target to reduce re-offending by adults sentenced to community sentences by 5 per cent.

Paul Goggins: Performance against the Home Department's targets is published in the annual report and the autumn performance report available in the Library and on the Home Office website www. homeoffice.gov.uk.

European Union Bill

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons it was decided that a regulatory impact assessment was not needed for the European Union Bill.

Denis MacShane: Paragraph 71 of the Explanatory Notes [Bill 45-EN] incorrectly states that no Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for the EU Bill was needed. In fact an RIA was undertaken, and placed in the Library of the House and on the internet at www. europe.gov.uk on 25 January when the Bill was introduced. The RIA concluded that—as the Notes state—there will be no direct or indirect regulatory burdens on business, charities or the voluntary sector.